Vincent van Gogh
Head of a Fisherman
1853-1890 | Dutch
TABL E O F CO N TE N TS
Painting Overview . . ....................... 4 Literature..................................... 6 Exhibited.. .................................. 24 Auction Comparables................. 27 Museum Comparables................ 31
Pencil and lithographic crayon on Western wove paper (Dambricourt Freres watermark) | Completed 1883 Paper: 17" high x 10 3/4" wide | 43.18 cm x 27.31 cm Frame: 23 5/8" high x 17 3/8" wide x 1 1/4" deep 60.01 cm x 44.13 cm x 3.18 cm
The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore. - Vincent van Gogh Letter to Theo ︳ May 14, 1882
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O V E R V I EW
A
n exquisite masterpiece by the legendary Vincent van Gogh, this drawing entitled Head of a Fisherman was executed in 1883. The captivating artwork is part of a distinguished series of drawings dedicated to the poignant figure of the fisherman, revealing van Gogh's profound ability to render the working class with dignity and sensitivity. During the early 1880s, van Gogh embarked on one of the most formative periods of his career, driven by a desire to render the rural workingclass Dutch. In this pursuit, however, the artist faced challenges in persuading models to pose as he desired. He lamented in a letter to his brother Theo: "Folks are desperately obstinate about it, and it is hard to make them yield on this point: they only want to pose in their Sunday best, with impossible folds in which neither their knees, elbows, shoulder blades nor any other part of the body have left their characteristic dents or bumps." Undeterred, van Gogh began collecting secondhand clothes to help him achieve his goal of rendering the common man. “Drawing the model with the necessary costumes is the only true way to succeed,” he wrote to Theo. Van Gogh's meticulous approach to his craft is evident in Head of a Fisherman, portraying a fisherman in three-quarter profile, clad in the traditional garb of his trade – a jacket with a stand-up collar and the iconic sou'wester hat. Van Gogh's use of lithographic crayon adds extraordinary depth to the work, a technique he referred to as "painting in black." This method allowed him to achieve rich gradations of tone, a skillful manipulation of materials evident in the expressive lines of his compassionate portrayal of the fisherman's harsh life. His subject is rendered with empathy, revealing the artist's sensitive soul and showcasing the culmination of the artist's journey to capture the essence of his subjects. Further distinguished by prestigious provenance, Head of a Fisherman was once in the esteemed collection of Henk Bremmer, the iconic Dutch painter and art dealer. Known as the “Art Pope” for his immense influence on Dutch art of the early 20th century, Bremmer was an avid
collector of van Gogh. He encouraged many of his clients to acquire van Gogh’s works and illustrated Head of a Fisherman on the cover of his 1907 publication Modern Kunstwerken. The artwork subsequently passed down through private hands, including the premier collections of the Norton Simon Foundation in Pasadena and Stanford Rothschild, the famed philanthropist. Head of a Fisherman is illustrated in several books, including the premier catalogues raisonnés edited by J.-B. de la Faille and J. Hulsker. It was exhibited in 1963 at the Lefevre Gallery in London. Similar works on paper by van Gogh are housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, the Kröller-Müller Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. ●
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OVERVIEW
PROVENANCE H.P. Bremmer, The Hague (until 1956) Private collection, The Hague E.J. van Wisselingh & Co., Amsterdam The Norton Simon Foundation, Pasadena, CA Sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, Inc., New York, 2 May 1973, lot 30 Stanford Z. Rothschild, Jr., Baltimore, MD Private collection M.S. Rau, New Orleans Private Collection, New York M.S. Rau, New Orleans
L ITERAT U R E L. Jansen, H. Luijten and N. Bakker, The Letters, The Complete Illustrated and Annotated Edition, London, 2009, vol. 2, pp. 88-90, 233-236 and 274-275, letter nos. 235, 301, 302 and 316
J.-B. de la Faille, The Works of Vincent van Gogh, His Paintings and Drawings, New York, 1970, p. 374, no. F 1012 (illustrated)
J. Hulsker, The New Complete Van Gogh, Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, Amsterdam, 1996, p. 76, no. 308 (illustrated, p. 77)
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. I, pp. 527-528, 542-544, letter nos. 261 and 267; vol. III, pp. 354-355, letter no. R22
J.-B. de la Faille, Vincent Van Gogh, The Complete Works on Paper, Catalogue Raisonné, San Francisco, 1992, vol. I, p. 261, no. 1012 (illustrated, vol. II, pl. XLVII)
W. Vanbeselaere, De Hollandsche Periode (1880-1885) in het Werk van Vincent van Gogh, Antwerp, 1937, pp. 101, 200 and 409, no. 1012
J. Hulsker, The Complete Van Gogh, Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, New York, 1977, p. 76, no. 308 (illustrated, p. 77)
H.P. Bremmer, ed., Moderne Kunstwerken, 1907, no. 4 (illustrated on the cover)
E X H IB I T E D London, Lefevre Gallery (Alex. Reid & Lefevre, Ltd.), XIX and XX Century French Paintings and Drawings, November-December 1963, p. 34, no. 39 (illustrated, p. 36)
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L I T ER AT UR E
J. Hulsker, The Complete Van Gogh, Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, New York, 1977, p. 76, no. 308 (illustrated, p. 77)
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LITERATURE
J. Hulsker, The Complete Van Gogh, Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, New York, 1977, p. 76, no. 308 (illustrated, p. 77)
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LITERATURE
J. Hulsker, The Complete Van Gogh, Paintings, Drawings, Sketches, New York, 1977, p. 76, no. 308 (illustrated, p. 77)
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LITERATURE
J.-B. de la Faille, The Works of Vincent van Gogh, His Paintings and Drawings, New York, 1970, p. 374, no. F 1012 (illustrated)
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LITERATURE
J.-B. de la Faille, The Works of Vincent van Gogh, His Paintings and Drawings, New York, 1970, p. 374, no. F 1012 (illustrated)
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LITERATURE
J.-B. de la Faille, The Works of Vincent van Gogh, His Paintings and Drawings, New York, 1970, p. 374, no. F 1012 (illustrated)
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. I, pp. 527-528, 542-544, letter nos. 261 and 267
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. I, pp. 527-528, 542-544, letter nos. 261 and 267
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. I, pp. 527-528, 542-544, letter nos. 261 and 267
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. I, pp. 527-528, 542-544, letter nos. 261 and 267
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. I, pp. 527-528, 542-544, letter nos. 261 and 267
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. I, pp. 527-528, 542-544, letter nos. 261 and 267
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. III, pp. 354-355, letter no. R22
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LITERATURE
V.W. van Gogh and J. van Gogh-Bonger, eds., The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, London, 1958, vol. III, pp. 354-355, letter no. R22
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LITERATURE
W. Vanbeselaere, De Hollandsche Periode (1880-1885) in het Werk van Vincent van Gogh, Antwerp, 1937, pp. 101, 200 and 409, no. 1012
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LITERATURE
W. Vanbeselaere, De Hollandsche Periode (1880-1885) in het Werk van Vincent van Gogh, Antwerp, 1937, pp. 101, 200 and 409, no. 1012
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LITERATURE
W. Vanbeselaere, De Hollandsche Periode (1880-1885) in het Werk van Vincent van Gogh, Antwerp, 1937, pp. 101, 200 and 409, no. 1012
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LITERATURE
W. Vanbeselaere, De Hollandsche Periode (1880-1885) in het Werk van Vincent van Gogh, Antwerp, 1937, pp. 101, 200 and 409, no. 1012
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EX H I B I T E D
London, Lefevre Gallery (Alex. Reid & Lefevre, Ltd.), XIX and XX Century French Paintings and Drawings, November-December 1963, p. 34, no. 39 (illustrated, p. 36)
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EXHIBITED
London, Lefevre Gallery (Alex. Reid & Lefevre, Ltd.), XIX and XX Century French Paintings and Drawings, November-December 1963, p. 34, no. 39 (illustrated, p. 36)
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EXHIBITED
London, Lefevre Gallery (Alex. Reid & Lefevre, Ltd.), XIX and XX Century French Paintings and Drawings, November-December 1963, p. 34, no. 39 (illustrated, p. 36)
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AU C T I O N C O M PA R A B L ES
3
Vincent van Gogh Title
La Mousmé
Description
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)La Mousmésigned 'Vincent' (lower left)reed pen
Medium
reed pen and brown ink over pencil on paper
Year of Work
1888
Size
Height 12.3 in.; Width 9.4 in. / Height 31.3 cm.; Width 23.9 cm.
Misc.
Signed
Sale of
Christie's New York: Monday, March 1, 2021 [Lot 00005] A Family Collection: Works on Paper, Van Gogh to Freud
Estimate
7,000,000 - 10,000,000 USD
Sold For
10,436,000 USD Premium
5
Vincent van Gogh Title
Oliviers avec les Alpilles au fond
Medium
Pen and Pencil and Ink
Year of Work
1889-1889
Size
Height 18.5 in.; Width 24.6 in. / Height 47 cm.; Width 62.5 cm.
Sale of
Sotheby's London: Tuesday, December 7, 1999 [Lot 00034] Impressionist & Modern Art - Part One
Estimate
1,500,000 - 2,000,000 GBP (2,435,065 - 3,246,753 USD)
Sold For
5,281,500 GBP Premium (8,573,864 USD)
6
Vincent van Gogh Title
JARDIN DE FLEURS
Medium
Drawing
Year of Work
1888-1888
Size
Height 24 in.; Width 19.3 in. / Height 61 cm.; Width 49 cm.
Misc.
Signed
Sale of
Christie's New York: Wednesday, November 14, 1990 [Lot 00014] IMPRESSIONIST AND MODERN PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE (PART 1)
Estimate
5,000,000 - 7,000,000 USD
Sold For
8,360,000 USD Premium
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AUCTION COMPARABL ES
8
Vincent van Gogh Title
La maison de Vincent à Arles (La maison jaune) (recto); page of a letter from Vincent to his brother Theo (verso )
Description
signed 'Vincent' (verso)pen and ink on paper5¼ x 8 1/8 in. (13.4 x 20.6 cm
Medium
pen and ink on paper
Year of Work
1888
Size
Height 5.3 in.; Width 8.1 in. / Height 13.4 cm.; Width 20.6 cm.
Misc.
Signed
Sale of
Christie's New York: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 [Lot 00016] Impressionist & Modern Evening Sale
Estimate
2,500,000 - 3,500,000 USD
Sold For
5,485,000 USD Premium
9
Vincent van Gogh Title
Bâteaux de pêches sur la plage à Saintes-Maries-de-laMer, Mediterranée
Medium
Reed Pen
Year of Work
1888-1888
Size
Height 15.6 in.; Width 21 in. / Height 39.5 cm.; Width 53.3 cm.
Misc.
Signed, Inscribed
Sale of
Christie's New York: Tuesday, May 5, 1998 [Lot 00014] Impressionist & 19th Century Art (Sale Auguste-8902)
Estimate
5,000,000 - 7,000,000 USD
Sold For
5,062,500 USD Premium
13
Vincent van Gogh Title
Mas a Saintes-Maries
Medium
Pen and Ink
Year of Work
1888-1888
Size
Height 12 in.; Width 18.7 in. / Height 30.5 cm.; Width 47.4 cm.
Sale of
Sotheby's London: Tuesday, April 4, 1989 [Lot 00020] IMPRESSIONIST AND MODERN PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS AND SCULPTURE
Estimate
1,500,000 - 2,000,000 GBP (2,560,163 - 3,413,551 USD)
Sold For
2,310,000 GBP Premium (3,942,652 USD)
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AUCTION COMPARABLES
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Vincent van Gogh Title
Parc à Arles avec un coin de la Maison Jaune
Description
Visionary: The Paul G. Allen CollectionVINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890)Parc à Arles av
Medium
red pen and brown ink over pencil on paper
Year of Work
1888
Size
Height 13.8 in.; Width 10.2 in. / Height 35 cm.; Width 25.9 cm.
Sale of
Christie's New York: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 [Lot 00016] Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection Part I
Estimate
3,000,000 - 5,000,000 USD
Sold For
3,780,000 USD Premium
16
Vincent van Gogh Title
Planteuse de betteraves
Description
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Planteuse de betteraves signed, titled and dated ‘Vincent p
Medium
black chalk on paper
Year of Work
1885
Size
Height 18.2 in.; Width 20.8 in. / Height 46.2 cm.; Width 52.8 cm.
Misc.
Signed, Inscribed
Sale of
Christie's New York: Tuesday, May 8, 2018 [Lot 00017] The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller: 19th and 20th Century Art, Evening Sale
Estimate
1,800,000 - 2,500,000 USD
Sold For
3,612,500 USD Premium
21
Vincent van Gogh Title
UN COIN DE JARDIN À ARLES
Description
signed Vincent (lower left)reed pen and brown ink and pencil on paper with the artist
Medium
reed pen and ink on paper
Year of Work
1888
Size
Height 9.5 in.; Width 12.4 in. / Height 24.2 cm.; Width 31.6 cm.
Misc.
Signed
Sale of
Sotheby's London: Wednesday, June 21, 2017 [Lot 00016] Actual Size: A Curated Evening Sale
Estimate
1,500,000 - 2,000,000 GBP (1,899,696 - 2,532,928 USD)
Sold For
1,808,750 GBP Premium (2,290,716 USD)
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3/4
AUCT I ON COM PARABLES
22
Vincent van Gogh Title
Sorrow
Description
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)Sorrowsigned 'Vincent' (lower left); inscribed 'Sorrow
Medium
pencil and wash on paper
Year of Work
1882
Size
Height 18.4 in.; Width 11.9 in. / Height 46.7 cm.; Width 30.2 cm.
Misc.
Signed, Inscribed
Sale of
Christie's London: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 [Lot 00014] Impressionist/Modern Art Evening Sale
Estimate
600,000 - 900,000 GBP (944,733 - 1,417,099 USD)
Sold For
1,329,250 GBP Premium (2,092,977 USD)
28
Vincent van Gogh Title
OLD MAN PRAYING
Description
pencil and brush and ink on paper66.1 by 52.9cm., 26 by 20 7/8 in.Executed in No
Medium
pencil and brush and ink on paper
Year of Work
1882
Size
Height 26 in.; Width 20.8 in. / Height 66.1 cm.; Width 52.9 cm.
Sale of
Sotheby's London: Thursday, February 4, 2016 [Lot 00343] Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale
Estimate
300,000 - 500,000 GBP (437,254 - 728,756 USD)
Sold For
1,085,000 GBP Premium (1,581,402 USD)
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M U S EUM C O M PA R A B L E S
Vincent van Gogh | Head of a Fisherman with a Fringe of Beard and a Sou'wester 1883 Medium: Pencil, lithographic crayon, brush and pen and ink, watercolour, on paper Dimensions: 181/2 x 111/2 inches | 47.2 x 29.4 cm
Van Gogh Museum
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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MUSEUM COMPARABL ES
Vincent van Gogh | Head of a Fisherman with a Sou'wester 1883 Medium: Pencil, lithographic crayon, chalk, brush and ink, watercolour, on paper Dimensions: 197/8 x 123/8 inches ︱ 50.5 x 31.6 cm
Van Gogh Museum
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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MUSEUM COMPARABL ES
Vincent van Gogh | Head of a Fisherman with Sou'wester 1883 Medium: Pencil, black chalk, milk fixative, opaque watercolour, and traces of squaring on watercolour paper Dimensions: 167/8 x 97/8 inches︱42.9 x 25.1 cm
Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo, The Netherlands
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MUSEUM COMPARABL ES
Vincent van Gogh | Weeping Woman 1883 Medium: Black and white chalk, with brush and stumping, brush and black and gray wash, and traces of graphite, over a brush and brown ink underdrawing on ivory wove paper Dimensions: 1913/16 x 123/8 inches | 50.2 x 31.4 cm
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL, United States
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